Losing Grounds [Davin & Ninaandrea]

Kabanata 6

I watched as Davin approached my old and worn-out couch, then sat there as he roamed his eyes around my apartment. He had been here before but this was going to be the first time that he would see the entire interior—the uglier side of this complex building. Dahil kung sobrang pangit na sa labas ay mas ang loob.

Using the electric kettle that Lily gave me, I heated a glass of water, para mabilis na kumulo at mapauwi ko na agad siya, ako na sobrang pinagsisihan na inalok ko siyang magkape.

While waiting for the water to boil, pasimple kong minasdan si Davin na nililinga ang kabuuan ng apartment ko.

I pouted and ignored the look of disgust in his face as I stared more at him. It had been almost a decade now and he changed from being the charming boy I had fallen in love with to a formidable, professional man. We were so young when we first met and looked at him now, very accomplished and seemed to have the whole world under his nose which had me deeply wondering how he got to where he was now.

I really had no knowledge about him the past several years. Para siyang isang bula na biglang nawala, along with my cousin, Masie, making me think on the other hand that he really did not love me. Kasi kung oo ay magpupumilit siya sa buhay ko, hindi ba?  Samantala, hindi na rin naman ako naghanap pa o nakuryoso sa kaniya. Sobrang tindi ng galit ko at ang buong atensyon ay ibinigay ko kay Vini noong mga panahon na ‘yon.

“Is it safe here?” biglang tanong niya.

“Nandito pa rin naman ako at kausap mo,” sarkastikong sagot ko sabay pasimpleng irap sa kaniya.

God, Vini, nakakainis itong tatay mo!

“You know it’s not what I meant,” he said.

“Davin, hindi ko kailangan ng awa mo—”

I stopped and had to bite on my lower lip to keep it from quivering at the next words he told me.

“I do not pity you. In fact, I am so proud of you, Ninaandrea. I know it was not easy but you still manage to pull it through,” aniya.

“Being independent opened my eyes to so many things,” sabi ko, hindi na alam pa kung saan na ba patungo itong usapan naming dalawa.

“But you could have sought out a more desirable apartment,” he remarked, prompting me to arch an eyebrow in response.

I know how disgusting this place was, but beggars could not be choosers. At wala na akong mahahanap pa na apartment na tatlong libo sa panahon ngayon.

“I’m fine here,” sabi ko.

“I have a spare room in my unit—”

“Shut up, Davin! Our involvement with each other already ended several years ago. We have no relationship for you to offer shelter to me. We are not even friends,” naiinis kong sabi.

He released a deep sigh.

“You are right. We are not friends because we are more than that,” aniya.